Sunday, March 04, 2012

Father Sammie Maletta, Jr. was assistant pastor at Notre Dame Parish in Long Beach, Indiana and served as chaplain for La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Indiana. I was proud to work with Father Sammie then and more proud of him for his courageous homily linked below.

For those of you who voted for I cannot believe you voted for this (referring to the mandate).

Let us be clear, President Obama let us be Catholic

The government wants to get in our business and tell us how to run our business, how to run our Churches.

I cannot make a decision about the Church without going through the government.

Why is the government so obsessed with reproductive services? And forcing us to go against our Faith to do what they want us to do

Father Sammie Maletta

If you are interested in knowing about my educational and various assignments then please scroll down to the Curriculum Vitae outlining my years as a priest.

I guess what I would like you to know about me is that I love the Lord Jesus and I am passionate about His Roman Catholic Church. I have been a priest for more than 25 years and the Church has made me what I am. I feel so incredibly honored and grateful to be living my life as a priest. I believe in striving for excellence and have found over and over again that apparent obstacles in life are really opportunities where our faith and character are tested and formed. So, for better or worse I regularly find myself challenging and motivating those around me to do one more thing for Christ.” Fr. Sammie Maletta

Curriculum Vitae

Reverend Sammie L. Maletta, Jr., was born in Gary, Indiana on March 9, 1953, the eldest of seven children of Sammie and Theresa Maletta. He was raised in Portage, Indiana and graduated from Portage High School.

After receiving a BA degree in English Literature from St. Meinrad Seminary and graduating with an M.Div and STB degree with honors from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Father Maletta was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Andrew Grutka on August 15, 1980, at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, Indiana.

Upon ordination, Father Maletta was assigned to instruct religion at Marquette High School in Michigan City, Indiana. In the spring of 1981, he began graduate studies in business administration at Notre Dame University School of Business. In the fall of 1981, he was assigned as administrator at Sacred Heart Parish in Wanatah, Indiana and St. Martin Mission in LaCrosse. In 1982, he was assigned administrator of St. Theresa Parish in Shelby, Indiana. In the fall of 1982, Father Maletta was assigned to study canon law in Rome, Italy. While studying in Rome, Father Maletta was selected to serve on the staff of the United States Bishops Theological Consultation. In June of 1984, he completed canonical studies and received a JCL with high honors from St. Thomas of the City. In the autumn of 1984, after return from abroad, Father Maletta was assigned to the Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Gary and appointed Adjutant Vicar Judicial and Defender of the Bond. He was also appointed Assistant to the Chancellor, while serving as administrator of Ss. Monica & Luke Parish in Gary, Indiana. In January of 1985, he was appointed Director of the Marriage Tribunal for the Diocese of Gary. In May of 1987, he served as Judge for the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Denver, Colorado.

Father Maletta was appointed Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Gary in December of 1988. In 1989 Bishop Norbert Gaughan appointed Father Maletta to study civil law at Valparaiso University School of Law while continuing his diocesan responsibilities. He graduated with a Juris Doctorate in civil law from Valparaiso in May of 1992. Father Maletta received the prestigious Honors Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy.

In July of 1992, Father Maletta was appointed pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Merrillville, Indiana. Shortly after his appointment as pastor, he resigned from all of his diocesan appointments in order to focus on the parish. In October 1992, after successfully sitting for the Indiana Bar, Father Maletta was sworn in as a civil attorney. In August of 1993, Father Maletta was certified by the Indiana Supreme Court as a Civil Mediator. Father Maletta continues to maintain both his licenses to practice law and his certification as a mediator.

Bishop Dale J. Melczek appointed Father Maletta as Diocesan Legal Counsel in April of 1994. In January of 1995, Father Maletta was appointed Representative of the Bishop for Health Care Concerns. He was invited to serve as Canonical and Ethical Counsel to the international law firm of Mayer, Brown and Platt in Chicago, Illinois. While serving in this position, Father Maletta was given the opportunity to participate in the filing of an amicus brief before the United States Supreme Court in behalf of the Catholic Health Association of America in the Oregon Assisted Suicide case, Lee vs Oregon.

On February 1, 1997, Bishop Dale J. Melczek appointed Father Maletta Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Gary.In 1998, Father Maletta was appointed to the Catholic Health Association Canon Law Committee, an appointment that has recently been renewed.In January 2000, after successfully completing his term as Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia, Father Maletta requested not to be reappointed, but to return to parish ministry and to pursue other interests. In July 2000, Bishop Melczek released Father Maletta from his diocesan responsibilities.In August 2000, Father Maletta was appointed by the Provincial of the Congregation of Holy Cross ‚ Indiana Province, to serve on the Fatima Retreat Center Advisory Board at Notre Dame University in South Bend.In September 2000, Father Maletta agreed to serve as Project Manager for Catholic Health Association.In October 2000, Father Maletta assumed the position of Attorney Of Counsel for the Chicago law firm of Burke, Warren, MacKay and Serritella, P.C.In the fall of 2000, Father Maletta was named as one of the twenty most influential people in Northwest Indiana.In March 2001, Father Maletta agreed to serve as a Certified Instructor for the Napoleon Hill Foundation located at the Napoleon Hill World Learning Center, Purdue University Calumet.In June 2001, Father Maletta was invited and agreed to serve as a member of the Commission on Race & Gender Fairness for Lake County, Indiana.In July 2001, Father Maletta was appointed Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. John, Indiana.In October 2006, Relevant Radio began broadcasting Father Malettaís homilies which can be heard on radio station 1270AM on Friday mornings at 9:00am.In February 2007, Father Maletta was appointed as Administrator of Holy Name Parish in Cedar Lake, Indiana, with all the rights and obligations defined for administrators in the Code of Canon Law.In January of 2003, Father Maletta was invited to attend the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs Seminar for Judges, Advocates and Promoters of Justice who will assist the Bishops to carry out the necessary penal processes which are called for in the Code of Canon Law, the Norms promulgated by the Holy Fatherís Apostolic Letter Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela and the ìEssential Normsî adopted by the Bishops to address the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by clerics.Since resigning from his diocesan positions, Father Maletta has provided organizational consulting for various institutions and businesses.

Father Maletta co-wrote Marital Failure: The Churchís Response for Chicago Studies in November, 1992. He was an editor of the Catechism Life in Christ, published by ACTA Publications in Chicago, Illinois (1993-1995). In August of 1994, he wrote a weekly column that was published in the Northwest Indiana Catholic newspaper on the New Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was also published by diocesan newspapers throughout the country. Father Maletta was a primary and contributing author of the Gary Diocesan Millennium booklets, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and God the Father.

Over the years, Father Maletta has been a popular public speaker, offering retreats and parish missions throughout the Midwest. Father Maletta has conducted numerous seminars on the relationship of canon and civil law to a life of faith. His seminars on sexbased differences have been well received by both local and national organizations. In recent years, Father Maletta has conducted workshops on the Catechism (as revealed in story).

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Dad always said that I couldn't find my butt with both hands. I can. Allow me to add this imperative -“Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you." - Pope Francis to celebrate Pro-life Mass, Vatican

About Me

A peach of a guy with all the sweetness one could expect from a life well-spent and in good company: short on brains but a terrific dancer!
Author:
Every Heart and Hand: A Leo High School Story
The Chorito Hog Leg, Book One: A Novel of Guam in Time of War